• BMB Reports
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.166-171
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• 2001

The levels of $\gamma$-aminobutyric acid (GAGA) have been analyzed from pharbitis seeds by an AccQ-Tag amino acid analysis procedure. The GABA level of the pharbitis seeds was 125 nmole per gram fresh weight. To investigate the effects of pharbitis seed diets on serum and hepatic lipid levels, as well as enzyme activities of rats administered with ethanol chronically, Sprague-Dawley male rats were fed with either a AIN-76 diet (control), a control diet plus ethanol, a control plus pharbitis seed diet, or a control plus pharbitis seed diet plus ethanol for 30 days. Pharbitis seed diets decreased the serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol, and $\gamma$-GTP levels that were increased by the chronic ethanol administration. In addition, pharbitis seed diets decreased the liver triglyceride and total lipid levels that were increased by the ethanol administration. However, ethanol metabolism was not retarded by the pharbitis seed supplemented diets. The present Endings, plus previous data showing the differences in the effects of cabbage diets having a high or a low level of GABA on the lipid levels and the enzyme activities of rats (Cha and Oh [2000] J. Korean Soc. Food Sci. Nutr. 29, 500-505), raise the possibility that GABA in plants could have a nutraceutical role in the recovery of chronic alcohol-related diseases.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.368.3-369
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• 2002

Pharbitis nil Choisy (convolvulaceae) is an annual vine plant and grows at the wayside of Korea. Japan. China and India. The seeds of blue or red Pharbitis nil Choisy. Pharbitidis Semen, is black or red-brown. This seeds have been used as a purgative. From a preliminary experiment. Pharbitidis Semen exhibited anti-cancer activity. MeOH extract of this seeds was subsequently fractionated into four parts: methylene chloride, ethylacetate, n-butanol and water fractions. (omitted)

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.1763-1772
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• 2017

This study aimed to isolate and characterize antibacterial metabolites from Pharbitis nil seeds and investigate their antibacterial activity against various plant pathogenic bacteria. The methanol extract of P. nil seeds showed the strongest activity against Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni (Xap) with a minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) value of $250{\mu}g/ml$. Among the three solvent layers obtained from the methanol extract of P. nil seeds, only the butanol layer displayed the activity with an MIC value of $125{\mu}g/ml$ against Xap. An antibacterial fraction was obtained from P. nil seeds by repeated column chromatography and identified as pharbitin, a crude resin glycoside, by instrumental analysis. The antibacterial activity of pharbitin was tested in vitro against 14 phytopathogenic bacteria, and it was found to inhibit Ralstonia solanacearum and four Xanthomonas species. The minimum inhibitory concentration values against the five bacteria were $125-500{\mu}g/ml$ for the n-butanol layer and $31.25-125{\mu}g/ml$ for pharbitin. In a detached peach leaf assay, it effectively suppressed the development of bacterial leaf spot, with a control value of 87.5% at $500{\mu}g/ml$. In addition, pharbitin strongly reduced the development of bacterial wilt on tomato seedlings by 97.4% at $250{\mu}g/ml$, 7 days after inoculation. These findings suggest that the crude extract of P. nil seeds can be used as an alternative biopesticide for the control of plant diseases caused by R. solanacearum and Xanthomonas spp. This is the first report on the antibacterial activity of pharbitin against phytopathogenic bacteria.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.151-162
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• 2011

Methanol and hexane extracts from 35 species in 27 families of herbal plants were evaluated for their acaricidal activities against two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae by leaf-dipping and spraying methods in laboratory, pot and field, respectively. Acaricidal activities were different depending on herbal plants. When T. urticae was released on leaves of Phaseolus vulgaris var. humilis that were dipped in the 1,000 ppm hexane extracts from fruits of Torreya nucifer and Daphan genkwa, seeds of Xanthium strumarium and Pharbitis nil at one minute they experienced 56.8, 47.8, 47.7, and 47.7% mortalities, respectively. Dipping time influenced acaricidal activity, that is, one minute dipping was more effective than 30 second dipping of Phaseolus vulgaris var. humilis leaves. However, extracts of X. strumarium and P. nil seeds had comparatively high activities. Concentration of hexane extract of X. strumarium and P. nil seeds revealing LC50 were 1,824 and 1,899 ppm, respectively. Extracts of both plants from hot and cold water were not effective representing <20% mortality at 1,000 ppm. However, hexane extracts of X. strumarium and P. nil seeds were effective against T. urticae on P. vulgaris var. humilis representing 76.3 and 71.3% mortalities in pot, respectively. Control effects of hexane extract of P. nil seed were 50.8 and 35.1% at 2,000 and 1,000 ppm against T. urticae on Chrysanthemum morifolium in greenhouse, respectively.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.225-232
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• 2017

This study aimed to evaluate several biological activities of Pharbitis nil and to isolate an anticancer agent from its methanol extract. Pharbitis nil seeds were extracted with methanol (PNM). Then, PNM was fractionated into solvent layers such as ethyl acetate fraction (PNE), butanol fraction (PNB), and water fraction (PNW). The biological activities of the fractions were analyzed for tyrosinase inhibition, lipase inhibition, DPPH-free radical scavenging, and cell growth inhibition. PNM showed strong growth inhibition of prostate cancer PC-3 cells. PNM was subjected to Diaion HP-20 and eluted stepwise with 50%, 80%, and 100% methanol. Then, for activity-guided fraction, each fraction was analyzed for growth inhibition of prostate cancer PC-3 cells by using an MTT assay. Because the 100% fraction showed significantly strong inhibitory activity, the fraction was further separated in the reverse phase C18, which was eluted with 80% and 90% methanol. The 90% fraction was further subjected to Sephadex LH-20 using a mobile solvent of 100% methanol. Finally, the compound PN was partially purified for HPLC analysis. PN showed cell growth inhibitory activity and induced the apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of prostate cancer PC-3 cells, as measured by flow cytometry. The results together suggest that Pharbitis nil possesses various biological activities, especially the inhibitory activity for the proliferation of prostate cancer PC-3 cells, suggesting the possibility of its use as an anticancer agent.